Elfen Lied Manga Transcript - Chapter Two
This article is a layered and hopefully, one day annotated transcript of the second chapter of the Elfen Lied Manga series, called Nyu. A link will take readers to a more straightforward synopsis of the story. It is the intent of the users & admins of this wiki not only to transcribe the visuals and dialogue from the series but to gather information on different English language 'scanlations' since the manga series has yet to receive an English language or North American official release. (Edit: Dark Horse Publishers is soon to do just that 08-18-2018) ''Alternate scanlations will be noted chiefly where the translation or transliteration draws a very different conclusion from the others, not merely where the wording is slightly different. Where official releases in other languages have dialogue that differs notably, it too will be noted. With that said, it is not the goal to transcribe the versions in other languages, since often that would be the same dialogue repeatedly, as well as making the article unwieldy. One goal is to eventually note how much the scanlation dialogue differs from the original Japanese. These transcripts are a work in progress. '''Where the scanlation dialogue is simply too clunky, it will be edited to reflect more comprehensible grammar and syntax, while keeping the intent and staying with the characters' method of speaking.' As of right now (07-04-2018), users may feel free to begin subsequent chapter transcripts. Just please be prepared to finish them if you start. Link to Chapter One Transcript ''NP = New Panel start RAW/ANNOTATED EDIT Chapter 2 - Nyu '1''' (NP; As we resume, Kouta and Yuka are still standing on the beach by the waves, staring dumbly at the nude girl, who has been the menace called Lucy, shivering from the cold, perhaps sneezing and seeming to have trouble with her balance. Her eyes have a look of pleading and confusion, with blood running down one side of her face around her eye, almost seeming an odd tattoo or facial marking. Kouta and Yuka for their part are transfixed by the odd sight. She is scared and blushing, though perhaps not from modesty, and her face is a wide look of pure alarm as she attempts to run off, only for her bare foot to find a discarded metal drink can, likely aluminum since it does not cut her. 2'' (NP; She falls face first into the sand, and the cousins look still confused but now also concerned. The nude girl sits up in the sand on her folded legs, crying like a baby, rubbing her eyes as she bawls uncontrollably. At this point, Kouta has begun to fully notice the pretty girl's body and react to it with light arousal) '''(Lucy, while sitting in the sand on her folded legs, starts crying, uttering) Lucy: Funya~ (onomatope, meaning quite roughly, soft, limb, flabby like a new-born baby. Not a suitable word for her age to say... indicating something is strange about her.) Kouta: Hey whoa what's going on here? Kouta: (after being strongly nudged by Yuka aside) Ack!　 Yuka: (after nudging Kouta aside)　What's the matter...? Are you alright? Yuka: Hey, who are you? (NP; Yuka, with perhaps a sense of propriety and annoyance at Kouta's focus on the nude girl, nudges him to turn away while she continues to question the girl) Kouta: Ack! Yuka: Why are you...are you hurt? '''''3 (NP; The girl looks on and up at those trying to help her, either still bleeding or her eye and side of face caked with blood) Girl-who-was-Lucy: (Very softly) Nyu? (NP; Yuka stands over the girl, looking directly at her, while Kouta has been turned to look away; the images are at a remove) Yuka: What are you doing here naked? Kouta: Nyu? No... The above two are both spoken by Kouta. That can be judged by the boy's wording choice. Kouta: Not nyu... Why are you at such a place like here naked? (NP; The image shifts to Kouta and Yuka's faces and upper bodies, Kouta still turned away) Kouta: She doesn't understand us? (NP; Two young boys, apparently in the distance, observing the trio by the surf; both are wearing shirt and shorts; one has a baseball cap and is playing with a foot (soccer) ball; the panel does not make clear precisely who is speaking next, except that it must be Kouta or Yuka) Yuka: Looks like she's not Japanese. (This concept/idea does not seem to be brought up again in the series, and is never mentioned in the anime. Whether it was meant to be foundational or was ultimately a discarded concept is not known) Kouta: What should we do? (NP; The perspective shifts to Kouta's perspective as we see more of him and his face, and the back of Yuka's head and body) Yuka: Take off your clothes first, Kouta. (NP; Kouta reacts in an obviously stunned manner) Kouta: WHAT?! (Note: There are several points in the scanlation that have problematic dialogue, and this is a prime one. We can assume from Yuka's character that she does not truly wish Kouta to strip down, and in subsequent panels, all he seems to have removed is his over-shirt. It can be assumed, pending verification, that in the original Japanese, she merely asked for the removal of his over-shirt. His stunned reaction might have been from the proper-mannered Yuka asking such a thing of him, especially on an April day near the sea-shore) The above translation is quite correct. Yuka requests of Kouta that he should take off his clothes at once. This is a sort of ecchi manga. Maybe LO wanted to attract young male readers' attention. - I do not know, tho. (From Gojirob, 9/8/2018 - Well, there are several possibilities. ''' '''One - At an earlier stage of development, Yuka was meant to be less tsundere and more humorous. Maybe teasing Kouta for being aroused by the naked girl. Two - Maybe, before the situation at Maple House developed as it did, Yuka herself planned to be more flirty and humorous with Kouta, only becoming more serious as the situation (like with his lost memories) demanded it. Three - If Kouta does not have his over-shirt on, that he is not fully properly dressed, and can be said strictly to have 'taken off his clothes' Four - It was simply an awkward turn of dialogue by an author who was still relatively new at this point But thanks to User Yoshik for confirming the original dialogue) ''Will revert to the above on another occasion. Regret your inconveniences. Yoshik.'' (NP; In the next panel, Kouta is down to his undershirt, and is sneezing from the chill air) 4'' (NP; Kouta is shown to be chilly, while Yuka helps the girl into his shirt, large enough to cover her thin frame, and looks on at her in concern while the girl looks confused) Yuka: Are you okay? (NP; Close-up of the girl's face and the blood on it while she still looks confused and tearful) Yuka: Look at her injuries. Did she forget because of this? (Note: Dialogue might work better as something like 'Is she acting stunned because of her injuries?') (NP; Kouta looks at the girl, and spots something protruding from her head. He actually grabs at the protrusion) Kouta: Your hair decoration looks weird. (NP; Kouta's hand is shown touching the protrusion in close-up, then the girl's face and head) Kouta: What? It's hard, and it grows straight from her head...a horn?! (NP; The sky or a blank scene is shown as Yuka speaks off-panel) Yuka: It's bad to send her like this, so let's take her to your home, Kouta. I'll lead. (Note: Dialogue might work better as "It's bad to send her off like this" or "It's bad to leave her like this." Also, while Kouta will raise the issue of his 'home', a better translation might be "Let's take her to where you'll be staying.") '''A direct and literal translation of this serif would be: Yuka: It's miserable to be naked. Let's go to Kouta's room for the time being! I'll lead. (NP; Kouta looks confused but willing) Kouta: Oh...ok. '''''5 (NP; At the Institute Lucy escaped from; the outer part of a blocky building is shown, and one voice appears from a person off-panel) Technician: Chief. (NP; He was speaking to Doctor Kurama, who now appears in the back of the panel, seen from the rear, with the room in the same perspective) Technician: Using information from the local weather center, we determined that the currents would have placed her at or near Yuigahama Beach. (NP; Kurama is shown pondering this info; his eyes are visible through his glasses-frames as he considers; the next panel shows his words, but not him or much of the room; only the technician and part of his work stations are shown) Kurama: Ask authorities in Kanagawa Prefecture to lend their aid to a hard search of the Kamakura area. Since she's naked, someone is bound to notice her. Technician: Yes, sir. (NP; As the technician turns back to his work, a woman approaches the seated Kurama holding a cup of coffee on a saucer, lifted off a platter. She is a tall woman with her top hair bundled up in a bun, with angular glasses like Kurama's own, only one eye visible through them in the frame. We will learn that her name is Shirakawa.) Shirakawa: Chief. I brought coffee. (NP; Kurama stares down at the coffee, looking indifferent to hostile) (The panel now shows the steaming cup of coffee itself, on the saucer) Shirakawa: He-he-he--don't you love the aroma? I used a siphon pot to make it. The above and the next panels are Kurama's retrospect of the late Kisaragi. It was Kisaragi's role to bring him a cup of coffee before and the delivery of the coffee by Shirakawa triggers off his memory about Kisaragi. So Kisaragi: He-he-he--isn't it tasty? I used a siphon pot to make it. These two retrospect scenes should be drawn a bit differently from others but LO did not give a careful consideration and was not skillful in this regard at this moment in 2002. 6'' (NP; Kurama recalls the brutally murdered Kisaragi, speaking her usual self-effacing words) Kisaragi: I regret that I can only help you in this way. (NP; Kurama reacts to the memory by crushing the coffee cup in his hand, cutting it and spilling hot coffee over himself) (NP; Shirakawa shifts from a look of concern on her face, to her trying to aid Kurama's bleeding hand, to realizing that he is almost not reacting at all) Shirakawa: Chief! Look at all the blood! We need to treat it right away. '''Shirakawa: Chief! Are you alright? in the next panel she continues Shirakawa: looks like a serious injury. I'll treat the wound soon. Feel pain, don't you? Kurama: It doesn't hurt. (NP; We see the back of his head as he almost confirms his non-reaction) Kurama: It's really just a small cut. Kurama: The hand wound does not me a pain. however, his heart is hurting because of Kisaragi's death. '''''7 (NP; The next panel and page shows a close-up of Yuka and Kouta's faces. Kouta seems a bit thrown off; Yuka is smiling with a slight blush showing around her eyes; it seems like perhaps this was more like she expected her reunion with Kouta to go) Kouta: Here? Yuka: Yep. (NP; Perspective of the house, which we will learn is called either the Kaede-Sou, Kaede House or Maple House, depending on who is making the description at what point in what version. It is an inn, and from behind we see Yuka, Kouta and the girl standing before its outer entrance gates, and they are somewhat dwarfed by the image) Kouta: So the house they agreed to let me borrow was this Inn? (Note: Kouta says 'they' agreed to let him borrow; in fact in the series, all we ever see or hear regarding the house's ownership involves Yuka's mother alone; another case where a check of the original Japanese would be in order, to see if this was early intent by Lynn Okamoto or a mistranslation. Further note: I have recently learned that some scanlations may be translated not from the original Japanese, but from the Manhwa version of the series. A second language to filter through could potentially explain quite a bit) My (Yoshik) hunch is that the English translation for Vol. 1 thru Vol. 3 iirc., is based on Korean. That's why the imitation sounds and/or mimetic words are in Korean. Since I can not read the scanlation sites anymore, I can not confirm it but almost sure. '' ''... Oh, yeah, Manhwa meas Korean Manga, OK, I just did not know that. About "they", there's no subject pronoun here in the Japanese text. A literal translation would be; without using a subject pronoun Kouta: So the empty house that mother is going to lend is a restaurant? ' '( or Kouta: So the empty house that is going to be lent is a restaurant? ) ''' Yuka: Yep. Since it's not being used anymore, my Mom won't charge you rent in exchange for maintaining the place and keeping it clean. '''Yuka: Yep. Since it's out of business now, my Mom says the rent is free in exchange for cleaning the place every day. "everey day", that appears in the Japanese text, is a harsh condition. So I wanted it to be included in Yuka's serif. (NP; Yuka keeps an impish sort of grin throughout; There is a slight indication that she is tweaking her mother's instructions and may in fact be pranking Kouta on how much he really has to do; if so, this is never followed up on) (NP; Shift from them outside the gates again to a small corner of the large residence) Kouta: ... How many rooms does it have? the'' ''"..." at the beginning in order to show that Kouta needs some time to ask this question Yuka: Hmmm...more than ten? 8'' (NP; Kouta turns to confront her while she opens the house-gate-doors) Kouta: So you want me to clean all those rooms while living in just one? '''Kouta: So you want me to clean all those rooms while it's only me who lives in this house? (NP; Yuka's grin has now turned a bit awkward, and her eyes are closed as if to avoid looking at his upset face) Yuka: No, of course not. I mean, it's not just the rooms. The gardens and grounds need to be kept up as well. (NP; A close-up of Kouta's face shows he is not enthused by this prospect; the next panel shows the three figures coming through the gate-doors while Kouta continues to task Yuka for this surprise) Kouta: Is that it, then? Your mother uses me as a property manager till you find another tenant? (NP; The panel focuses on the confused former Lucy's face as Yuka responds) Yuka: Well, Mother did say an unattended unlived-in house will die faster... '''''Here again, no subject like "Mother" is used. The message content is what many people usually talk about,or that is, it is a shared view by the public so I would use "they". Yuka: Well, they say when nobody lives the house will die faster... (NP; Perhaps uncomfortable now, Yuka shifts her attention to the girl; the girl stands, her hands balled into fists, though seemingly not in anger; we see Yuka's legs as she looks over) Yuka: So you can't speak our language at all? Girl: Nyu? Yuka: Hmm. It'd be less uncomfortable if we at least knew her name. (NP; Kouta looks rather tired, the day having apparently caught up with him as he speaks to Yuka. His face is seen from the side, and hers face front.) Kouta: She keeps saying "Nyu", so let's just call her that. Yuka: (Surprised that he would say this) What?! (NP; The girl, or Nyu as she will indeed soon be known, is shown in one panel to lose her footing, and in the next, to fall to her knees on the floor) Nyu: Kouta: Oh-Oy! Yuka: What is it? 9'' (NP; A shot of Kouta's feet as a puddle of liquid reaches his part of his sock; a shot of his concerned face as he realizes the source of the puddle; a shot of Kouta and Yuka, with Nyu on the floor between them, as she mewls from her apparent bladder release. The sound continues through an outdoors shot of part of the Inn/House) (NP; Cut to a scene of a bath/onsen filled with water; Yuka and Nyu are nude, mostly featureless bodies punctuated by steam from the onsen, while Yuka bathes and cleans their limited guest, pouring water on and around an apparently happy Nyu) Yuka: The floor isn't a toilet, you know? Don't do that again, okay? ''Yuka seems to prefer a shorter message and is straightforward. Yuka: You shouldn't pee at such a place, okay? ''' Nyu: Nyu! (NP; Back near the entrance, Kouta is wiping up the results of Nyu's accident with a large soft cloth) Kouta: Heh--she's got me cleaning already. (NP; Switch to Kouta's concerned and confused face) Kouta: But that girl? Urinating on the floor at her age? And with people around? ''10'' (NP; Blank panel except for Kouta's next words; these are perhaps private thoughts instead) Kouta: I don't think it's that she doesn't understand Japanese--it seems more like she's a baby before it learns to speak. ''Kouta does not say specifically "Japanese" but just "the language", although the language meant here is apparently Japanese in the context. Since the Manga is going to be translated into other languages as well, I'm of the opinion that a literal translation is OK or better here, that means,'' simply "the (or our) language".' (NP; Image of Lucy/Nyu's head while Kouta's words continue) Kouta: I wonder why that is, though. She must be about fifteen (years old). (NP; Image of a younger child, smiling broadly. It is our first look at Kouta's younger sister Kanae, and like many early character images in this series, it does not match up with what we will see later on; Kanae's gender is ambiguous, despite her obviously feminine name, and her look is decidedly tomboyish. Her hair is cut short and she wears a simple shirt with no sleeves; story-wise, these discrepancies could tie in to the later realized discrepancies in Kouta's own memories.) Kouta: Fifteen...Kanae would be around the same age if she had lived. 'The image of a younger child is an imaginary Kanae who would look like this in Kouta's imagination, if she could have lived until the age of 15. So it is suggested that Lucy and Kanae are more or less a similar age. If Kouta is 19 (or 18), then Kanae is younger by 4 (or 3) years or so.' ''(This is again a very early interpretation of Kanae and Lucy's relative ages; later chapters never really clear this up, but it seems more like Lucy is closer to Kouta and Yuka's age rather than Kanae's. Again, story-wise, Kouta's unreliable memory may be in play, as we see in the next panels. The first one is without words, merely the image of a small hand in a hospital bed with an IV drip attached to the anterior wrist; the panel after this shows younger Kouta standing over another child in a hospital bed with feed lines and monitors about them, indicating a long-term stay and illness; the younger Kouta is nearly as tall as his present-day self, another early depiction that will not endure) Kouta: (recalling Kanae's own words) I want to go to the sea, even if it's only once. Then I can collect lots of pretty seashells. About the above underlined part: The speaking style of the Japanse words used for the above shows that the speaker is a female . So in addition to the name Kanae, a Japanese reader knows the words are from Kanae. The real problem of the manga version is that we do not know at this moment who Kanae is. She could be his young female acquaintance. '' ''In order to make it short and clear from the very beginning, the anime version inserted some scenes where Kouta recalls Kanae on the beach before Lucy emerges there. Anime Kanae calls young Kouta "Oniichan" or "elder brother", so the relationship between the two is clear. Kouta is recalling from his wrong memory what Kanae said in the hospital, although there was no such an occasion in the reality. We need to bear in mind that Kouta at this moment believes that his younger sister, Kanae, died in the hospital because of a desease or an accident. The hand scene shows the imaginary Kanae is given a drip at the hospital. Then the above words of Kanae follow. A dream of the young girl. (NP; Kouta with his hand against his face, perhaps fighting back tears, then an image of his lower body, having sat down while feeling overwhelmed; a seashell is shown in his hand) Kouta : Hunh--I'm sorry, I can't do it. I looked only for schools that were far away so that I could forget Kanae. Looks to me it's better to change the order of the above. '' '''Kouta: It's no good after all. I looked only for schools that were far away so that I could forget Kanae. Out of the panel, he continues. Kouta: "Sorry..." (This may be either another early error or a mistranslation of some sort; If Kouta wanted to go far enough away to forget Kanae, then Kamakura is a poor choice, being the place of her death. Then again, since we will learn he misremembers her death entirely, it could be that his addled memories also translocated where she died) '''''Or another interpretation is that he believes that Kanae passed away in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Kamakura is then far away from her death place. (If we know the location of the University that accepted him as a back-up student, it would take probably one hour by train (and bus) from the Maple Inn to the university.) 11 (NP; What must be Kanae in memory, a breathing device atttached to her face and throat, and monitor wires all over her upper body) Kouta: Now, Kanae can never leave this room''' the end of her life.' 'The added words are missing in the translation.' ''(Again, the meaning here is rendered less than clear. We are left unsure as to whether he is thinking of words he said at the time, the way Kanae will never leave the room in memory, or, given later information, if she must remain in this room to safeguard his false/defensive memories) Kouta: She would be happy here, living next to the sea... (Kouta is talking to the memento.) (NP; We see part of his body, seated, his arm showing his hand clenched around what is likely the seashell seen earlier; this switches to a side view of his face, his eye darting to one side, showing surprise on his face) Yuka: Sorry for taking so long. (NP; Yuka standing with Nyu. Yuka is wiping her chin with a towel, and presumably her hair as well, once again dressed in the clothes she arrived in. Nyu is now clothed in what looks like a man's sleeveless undershirt and boxer shorts (The shirt is an 'A-Shirt') Yuka seems refreshed and is lightly smiling. Nyu stands with her arms behind her back, looking not quite there, but neither too confused) Kouta: What? You have her wearing''' my things'? 'In the Japanese text Kouta uses a more direct word "my underpants".' (NP; As Yuka responds, Nyu is tugging at the undershirt, potentially exposing herself again; Yuka seems unconcerned, perhaps considering this is better than nothing) Yuka: '［Because］There's nothing else for her to wear. I'll bring some of my own clothes later. ''12'' (NP; Yuka observes something and her face shows some surprise) Yuka: Oh, that shell looks pretty. (NP; Kouta is sitting and looking at the shell in his hand; it almost seems as though he diidn't realize he was holding it till Yuka spoke) Kouta: Ah--this? (NP; Close-up of Kouta's hand holding the shell with three fingers, two raised) Kouta: This is like a memoir. This was '''first and the last thing Kanae gave me before she died. The words in the square brakets are missing. (NP; The panel shows Yuka's bare feet on the floor) Yuka: Kanae--I feel so sorry for her. (NP; Kouta sits with a contemplative look on his face, cast somewhat downward) Kouta: Yeah, but you can only do so much with someone's life. And she always stayed in the hospital. (This may be another instance of problematic scanlation; What Kouta may be saying is something like : "There was only so much they could do to help her. It was hard for her, always being in the hospital.") Kouta: There was no help for it. It was her tenure of life. And she stayed in the hospital all the time. (NP; Nyu sitting, watching Kouta holding the seashell; next panel shows her taking the shell from his hand) Kouta: Hm? What is it? (NP; Nyu contemplating the shell, now in her hands) 13 (NP; Nyu breaking the shell in two, also splintering parts of it into fragments; It is far from a clean break, and the snapping sound is audible) (NP; A close up of Kouta's face, most particularly his left eye. It has become dilated as his face contorts in rage) (NP; Nyu smiling serenely, seeming very pleased with herself and her accomplishment; Next panel shows Kouta arising in a pure rage, seizing Nyu by the shirt, looking ready to pummel if not kill her; rage lines surround his head as he shouts; the dining table is seen in the background; Nyu looks confused and terrified) Kouta: What do you think you're doing?! (NP; A close-up of Nyu's horrified face, also plainly showing her incomprehension at this turn in her new friend, so helpful until now) Kouta: I said it was my sister's memoir! Get the f*** out if you're gonna screw around like that! 14 (NP; Nyu looks flushed with shame and pain, and is obviously confused and hurt. The area under her eyes shows redness, perhaps from welling up tears; NP; Nyu runs hurriedly past a sitting and still infuriated Kouta, who pays her no heed as she goes; NP; Yuka looks over in concern at the fleeing Nyu, perhaps hearing the door pushed aside as she goes; NP; Kouta stares upset at the broken shell fragments, his face reddened and a single tear showing) Kouta: Seriously, is she out of her mind? or Kouta: Where's on earth her head at?' (NP; blank but for one word balloon; NP; Yuka's face from a side profile, looking concerned; NP; the shell fragments at Kouta's feet, his pant-leg and sock visible; the sock is all-white but the toe-tip appears to be a different shading) (in the blank but for one word balloon) Yuka: ... Perhaps '''''and in the next panel, Yuka; Maybe she She saw you were making sad faces when looking at the shell. I think Kanae would be hurt if your only thoughts about her were sad ones. A lieteral translation of the words in the strikethrough style are; Yuka: She (Nyu) thought the shell was the bad guy makes you so sad. In the next panel, Yuka continues; Yuka: If you (Kouta) feel sad every time you recall Kanae-chan, ... she (Kanae-chan) must be also feeling sad. ''' (NP; exterior shot of Maple House, fence and yard, in the pouring rain) Yuka: It's dark now, raining too. I better go look for her. ''The order of the above words is reversed.Read from the right ballon first, then to the left ballon. So,'' 'Yuka: I better go look for her. ' ''In the next balloon of the same panel, she continues,'' '''Yuka: It's dark outside already and it's downpouring. (NP; Yuka leaves room, half her body visible in frame, while Kouta continues to sit and stew; NP; Kouta wipes away his tears while trying to regain his composure) Kouta: (almost grunting) Haaa...'' (The imitation sounds in the panel suggest that the entrance door was being and was just closed by Yuka.)'' 15 (NP; Technician back at Institute Lucy escaped from turns around from looking at his console panel, wearing headphones) Technician: Chief!! I think this title of Kurama "Chief" is more suitable than "Director".　The Japanese title "Shitsuchou" is translated into "Section Chief, Laboratory Manager,Office Head, Room Monitor" according to a net dictionary. (NP; Two men in suits on the beach are talking to the two boys who witnessed Kouta and Yuka finding Nyu; obviously, this is a depiction of what the technician is describing) Technician: A naked girl was spotted with a young couple at Yuigahama Beach. (NP; Shirakawa stands behind the seated Kurama at the console, both seen from behind) Shirakawa: Chief'･･･?' Added ... and deleted the question mark, as it is the way the Japanese text does. Kurama: Yeah, this is it. (NP; Close up of Kurama's face; one eye is obscured by word balloons) Kurama: Assign as many people as you can in and around Yuigahama. Search for her, and do anything you can to find that young couple. A more literal translation of the underlined part would be;'' "Do your at most to get more information. We have to find the young couple by any means."' (NP; Blank except for words; Unclear if spoken or thoughts) Kurama: Although, if that girl was Lucy, that couple won't be found alive. (NP; View of seated Kurama from below and at an angle; his hands are folded together at the fingers) Kurama: Contact Kachijima. We're assigning SAT. '''16 (NP; Close-up of Shirakawa's face) Shirakawa: SAT...What? (NP; Close up of Kurama's folded hands and fingers) Kurama: SAT - Special Assault Team. When it comes to warfare in Japan, they're the best. (NP; A helmeted and armored figure in military garb receives a gunshot to the upper torso, center of the chest, and begins to fall backwards from the impact; NP; Another such figure, this time sporting what might be night vision goggles) 17 (NP; Targets representing armed figures, either costumed mannequins or standees, appear in the vision-scope of the night-goggled figure; NP; Two technicians in a room above this simulation are watching; one is standing, his hair lighter than the other's; the one with darker hair has glasses and is seated at a control/comm panel) Standing Technician: Bando-San, he's amazing. Even at the highest level, he always manages to lock on to all targets. The underlined part.'' "He utilizes lock-ons to the upper limit of four targets at the same time."' (NP; Figure in simulation, whose name it seems is Bando, is shown firing at the targets seen earlier) Seated Technician: Yeah. He's probably the best at solo infiltration and assault 'the world. (NP; Seated Tech is shown looking at something in slight confusion) Seated Tech: If he only gave off the impression of being more engaged...hmm? ''A literal translation would be; Seated Tech: "If only he is a normal and respectable person... hmm?" (NP; The figure of Bando is seen standing listlessly in his armor and fatigues, staring downward, his weapon pointed downward as well) Seated Tech: What is it, Bando? Don't you know the test is still going on? (NP; Bando's weapon, some manner of higher-end machine gun, is thrown to the floor with a hard thud) Bando: This Sucks! 18 (NP; We see the two technicians in silhouette behind the glass, watching the gun, which now shows it has sensors on it, striking the ground) Seated Tech: Idiot! Do you know how much that computerized equipment costs? (Note: The scanlation calls it ECAD equipment; this does not seem to match up with the definitions found online) The Japanes text uses the word ECAD but it could be inappropriate. "Conputerized equipment" seems a good translation. Bando : What the f*** do I care? The Japanese text never uses any kind of word that resembles "f***" but if that's the way in the US, then it's OK. Anyway he is shouting with anger. (NP; Bando is now confirmed to be the figure in fatigues, body armor and either Night Vision or AR Goggles; He is seen from the front wearing these as he rants) Bando: You're having me shoot at dolls every damn day! I didn't join SAT just to f*** around in this one-man show. (NP; The technicians are standing behind the observation partition as Bando finishes) Bando: Let me shoot real people! Seated Tech: (though now standing) What the hell are you saying? (NP; A close-up of the Seated Tech's face; apparently he holds a military rank) A police rank, to be strict. SAT is a part of police in Japan. Standing Tech: Corporal? There's a message for you. Standing Tech: Lieutenant!! Internal phone to you!! Seated: Hmm? (The panels do not indicate who said this, so we proceed on the assumption it was the more junior tech/officer) Judging from the balloon arrow, it is junior tech, like you assumed. (NP; Bando transitions through the doorway, his goggles and helmet removed, his right hand on his hip, his left in the air in a dismissive gesture; We see his face and form properly for the first time, and he is a big man with close-cut hair, though not truly buzzed) Bando: So boring! I can't do this shit! (NP; Bando walks by the Seated Tech Officer, called Corporal Lieutenant earlier) Corporal: Be happy, Bando. You're going into action. Bando: Huh? 19 (NP; Bando's face shows he is considering this sudden offer, but with wariness; NP; view of the hard metal walls of the control room while Bando continues speaking) Bando: But still, it's probably just some salaryman kidnap case or some dumb bitch trying to kill herself. Let the police handle it. In the first panel,'' Bando: ... At most...' 'And in the next panel, Bando continues: It's probably just a hi-jacking by a salaryman or a kid entrenched himself, that kind of things like children playing house, isn't it? Let the ordinary policemen handle it.' (NP; Face of the Seated Tech/Corporal as he relates the mission offer) Corporal: A killer escaped confinement today, murdering over ten people 'today only. Your assignment is to locate and terminate this individual. ''Added the words in [ ] and deleted the strikethrough words, which is more royal to the Japanese text. (NP1; Bando's eyes show his interest in the offer; NP2; Empty except for Bando's words; NP3; Bando's face, his laughter so hard and loud, it almost seems to place his face in shadow from the reverb) Bando: Really? Hehe--ahahahhaha! After eight years? In NP1, Bando: ...... Really?' In NP2, Bando: ... Kukkukku (giggling) In NP3, Bando: Hehe--ahahahhaha! After eight years of persevering unremitting effort!! (NP; Bando's voice-balloon fills half the panel; the Corporal and the other Tech show their discomfort if not disgust at his attitude, drops of sweat running down their faces) Bando: The day has finally come for me to kill people''' this country'--legally! '''Added the missing words. Corporal Lieutenant: (Perhaps under his breath, perhaps drowned out by raucous Bando) Die! This word of the lieutenat seems to me directed to Bando in his heart... (NP; A young woman/officer comes up behind Bando, whose face contorts in a mix of shock and rage at this) Young Woman: Excuse me, Bando-San? 20 (NP; Bando reacts by savagely back-handing the young woman straight in the face with his clenched fist; The impact is sudden and obviously brutal; No features are shown on her face in this panel, but blood obviously spurts out as she begins to almost fly back from the hit. A clipboard and pen she had been holding fly out of her hands) (NP; She hits the floor face first as her skirt briefly ruffles but doesn't truly fly up; It is difficult to see how far she's fallen, but it was in no way a gentle fall) (NP; The Corporal and the Tech watch in horror and revulsion; disbelief is all but painted on their faces) (NP; Pushing up from the floor, the young woman almost looks more stunned and shocked than injured; perhaps her body has yet to register the pain from her likely injuries; she looks above all else horrified and confused in the worst way) (NP; Bando stands in his fatigues/armor, still with one arm raised from the back-handing of the hapless young woman; No look of regret is visible on his face; as far as he seems concerned, she could have walked too close to a large fan's exposed blades) Bando: Don't suddenly come up behind me, you stupid bitch. 21 (NP; We see the fragments of the broken shell laid out; NP; Kouta has his hand on his chin, a sad contemplative look on his face as he perhaps looks at the broken shell) Kouta: Huh.. (NP; Image of happy beaming Nyu, a memory of how she looked just after breaking the shell; Panel that follows is blank except for Kouta's words) Kouta: I know she didn't do it on purpose. She looked at me like she wanted praise for a good deed. I think she's a good girl, she just doesn't understand''' language. Did I yell at her too loud? ''Added the bold part in the above. The corresponding words are in Japanese text.'' (NP; Kouta has his hand over one eye as though in realization and shame; NP Kouta gets up from where he's sitting, prepared to move) Kouta: Damn! I can't leave a girl in just a shirt and panties out all alone! ''This English description explains Nyu's clothes more accurately than the Japanese text. In the Japanese text, Kouta just refers to pants.'' '' like "in just (underware) pants only."' (NP; Kouta opens the doors and looks outdoors, sees the heavy rain) Kouta: Wow! It's pouring. I don't even have an umbrella. (NP; Kouta's face shows surprise at hearing a voice) Visitor: Hey! (NP; Two men in suits walking with umbrellas towards the house; One is tall, the other shorter with glasses) Visitor: Isn't this house empty? 22 (NP; Kouta stands at the door facing the two visitors, his hands in fists at either side of his waist) Kouta: I just moved here today. Who might you be? (NP; The taller man without glasses shows his ID to Kouta while the shorter man with glasses stands behind him) Tall Police Officer: I'm a police officer. I just need your cooperation. (His hand holds out a picture that is obviously of Nyu-as-Lucy and it is shown to Kouta; The face is featureless in this image, but the horns and hair are unmistakable. The stance seems more that of an adult than the child-woman Kouta met; How this picture was taken or constructed remains a mystery of the series) Tall Police Officer: Have you seen a girl with a hair decoration like this? (NP; Close-up of one of Kouta's eyes as it goes wide; NP; Kouta has seized the photo and is staring intently at it while the police officer objects) Tall Police Officer: Hey! Kouta: What'd she do? The order of the above two balloons is to be reversed. When in the same panel, read the right one first, then to the left. '' '''Kouta: What'd she do? Tall Police Officer: Hey! (NP; The Tall Officer's face and upper body under the umbrella, his face showing obvious annoyance) Tall Police Officer: We're the ones asking the questions! Have you seen her or not? (NP; Kouta's face shows upset at his tone; NP; Kouta speaks and looks dismissive, but his face is hard to discern, looking almost featureless; The two officers are in the foreground of the image) Kouta: I haven't seen her at all. I only just moved here''' today. ''Added the words in [], since the corresponding word is in the Japanese text. (NP; Kouta looking sharply at the two, and concerned) Kouta: Why are you guys looking for her so desperately? This seem to be a good free translation into English. A direct translation for reference is Kouta: What's wrong with her? (NP; The Tall Police Officer, under his umbrella, looks a bit annoyed as well as having a look of consideration over what he should reveal) 23 (NP; Kouta is still standing under the roof's awning/overhang just outside the doors, while the two officers stand with their umbrellas in the rain; It is unclear who is speaking, so the Tall Officer will be assumed here) It is a correct assumption. We can learn it from the first two panels of the next chapter. Tall Police Officer: She's a serial killer. She escaped from jail just this morning. The underlined part. A literal translation is'' "mass murderer".' (NP; Nyu wanders alone and confused in the rain while the Police Officer finishes speaking, looking as far away from his description as possible) Tall Police Officer: During her escape, she killed at least fourteen people 'in today's morning. ''Added the omitted words in [ ]. END CHAPTER Category:Transcripts Category:Series Information Category:Manga